Time To Move On
by SopophorousBean
Summary: In what is turning out to be a dramatic year at Hogwarts, Ginny Weasley has to face up to her feelings for Harry, with a little help from Hermione. Set during GoF. One-shot. Completed.


_Summary - Ginny Weasley is in her 3rd year at Hogwarts, and it's turning out to be an emotional one. The Triwizard Tournament is underway and the Yule Ball is approaching, with all the drama going on around her Ginny comes to terms with her feelings, with a little help from Hermione._

_Disclaimer - These characters belong to the wonderful J. K. Rowling, I own nothing._

**Time To Move On - A Ginny One-Shot**

Ginny Weasley was perched on the edge of her four poster bed, hands gripped tightly on the edge of the mattress, her fingernails digging in to the blanket. Her eyes were fixed on a point in the distance, far beyond the tower window, yet her thoughts were even further away from the room she was sitting in. The third year girls' dormitory was otherwise deserted, the noise drifting up from the common room below the only sign of life nearby. Her fellow Gryffindors were beginning to make their way back from the Great Hall after dinner, the sound of laughter and friends talking drifted its way up the stairs.

The sun was already low in the sky and the room was dark and cold, yet Ginny had no desire to get up and light the lamps. She could have been sat there for hours, all sense of time seemed to have escaped her as she sat there deep in her own thoughts, struggling to escape from them as they ate away at her. The room was almost completely still, the only movement came from the specks of dust that drifted through the air, settling on the surfaces of the bedside tables and four poster bed coverings. Suddenly, there came a gentle tapping on the door which was enough to stir Ginny from her thoughts.

"Hello, anyone in there?" came a small, familiar voice from the other side of the door. Ginny recognised it instantly as the voice of Hermione Granger. Ginny quickly attempted to compose herself, rapidly fixing a smile on her face.

"Come in!" she answered after a few moments, attempting to control her voice and sound bright and breezy. The door opened slightly and through the gloom Ginny could make out the bushy haired head of Hermione appearing round the side of the door.

"It's a bit dark in here isn't it?" chirped Hermione and she lit the lamps with a wave of her wand. As Ginny was bathed in the light, Hermione took one look at her and the expression on her face changed to one of concern. She closed the door behind her and made her way across the dormitory. As she sat down on the edge of the bed next to Ginny's, the closing door sent a breeze throughout the room which caused the temperature to drop even further. Ginny fought the urge to wrap her hands around herself for warmth, instead keeping them firmly gripped on the the edge of her bed. Hermione faced her, tilted her head and said at once,

"Oh Ginny" she sighed, "its Harry isn't it?"

"I don't know what you mean," Ginny replied instantly, trying her hardest to sound casual. "I'm fine, honestly," she smiled, although deep down she knew she was trying to convince herself more than Hermione. The look on Hermione's face seemed to show that she knew it too.

"I know you like him," said Hermione, placing her hand gently on Ginny's arm. "And I know this must be a hard time for you, what with the Yule Ball coming up and..." She paused for a moment. "And well, Harry asking Cho and everything,"

"Oh don't act like you know how I feel!" snapped Ginny. It's alright for you, going with Viktor! You have your Triwizard champion, there's no need to rub it in my face!" she paused, reflecting on her sudden outburst. "Oh I'm so sorry Hermione, I didn't mean that, it's just..." She buried her head in her hands. "Oh it's all such a mess!" She was relieved to hear that when Hermione spoke again, her voice was calm and kind.

"It's not a mess, you still have a date don't you?" said Hermione, reassuringly. Ginny looked up and met Hermione's gaze.

"But it's not who I want to be going with, is it?" she whispered, not letting herself get upset. However the anger seemed to creep up inside her. "Why did I say I'd go with Neville, why?" she said regaining her voice and stamping her foot hard on the ground as she said it. Pain shot up her leg but and she tried not to let it show on her face. "I had the chance to go with Harry and I blew it,"

"Ginny listen to me," Hermione ordered, tightening her grip on Ginny's arm. She relaxed it slightly and when she next spoke it was in a softer voice. "Maybe it's time for you to, you know, move on."

Ginny froze, not wanting to believe what she had just heard. Her heart was pounding hard against the wall of her chest. She played the words over in her mind, letting them sink in gradually. Could she ever move on from Harry Potter? It seemed impossible, he was all she ever thought about and being with him was all she had ever wanted. Hermione had apparently noticed the silence that had followed and so started to speak again.

"Ginny, you are the most amazing girl, funny, smart, beautiful and I know that Harry would notice all that if you could just be yourself around him," she continued. Ginny stared at Hermione, scanning her face to try and understand what her friend was saying.

"Hang on a minute," Ginny said, shaking her head and pulling her arm away from Hermione's grip. "First you tell me to move on, then you make out I still have a chance with him, which is it?" she asked, her eyes fixed on Hermione's.

"What I mean," Hermione continued, clearly determined to get her point across, "is that Harry hasn't seen the real Ginny, the one everybody else sees when he's not around, because you're so shy around him," Hermione paused for a moment, frowning in thought as if she were trying to choose her words very carefully. "I'd love Harry to see that side of you, but I think the only way that will happen is if you get over the crush you have on him, that way you can relax and you won't be nervous around him anymore,"

Ginny flinched slightly at the word "crush", Hermione couldn't possible understand her feelings for him but she didn't argue. She tried to take in everything Hermione had said. She wanted more than anything to be able to act normal around Harry, rather than the fool she felt around him at the moment. Deep down she knew that Hermione was right, that what she was saying made sense, however much it hurt her to admit it.

"How do I do it?" Ginny asked quietly, looking away, not able to look at Hermione.

"Well, you could try dating other people," Hermione suggested, "There are plenty of boys who would jump at the chance to go out with you,"

Ginny answered in her head "but they're not Harry," However she didn't voice this out loud. This had to be the start. She nodded.

"The Yule Ball is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you don't want to waste it being miserable" Hermione said brightly, a smile appearing on her face, "Go with Neville, put Harry out of your mind and promise me you'll enjoy yourself!"

"I will, I promise," Ginny replied, smiling at Hermione and sitting up slightly straighter.

"Who knows, you might even meet somebody there!" added Hermione encouragingly.

"Yeah, maybe," smiled Ginny back at her.

"Come on, let's go downstairs, you can't stay up here moping all evening," said Hermione, a slightly bossy tone coming through in her voice.

"I'll follow you down, just give me a minute," replied Ginny, finding her normal voice again and standing up. Hermione stood too and pulled Ginny in to a hug before releasing her, crossing the room, and exiting, leaving the room still again.

Ginny turned and took a few steps towards the mirror that hung beside her bed and looked straight ahead in to it. Her red hair burned vividly in the glow of the newly lit lamps. She took in her reflection for a few moments and then closed her eyes, screwing them up tightly. She allowed herself to picture herself and Harry together for one last time, before opening her eyes and wiping the image from her mind, wishing the pain she felt in the pit of her stomach would disappear as easily.

"Time to move on," she whispered to herself. And with those words in her ears, she left the room.


End file.
